History 261 Sex after Shakespeare Final Flashcards

The Duke’s Company

Sir William Davenport opened one of the two playhouses. They allowed women to act (king allowed, no more boys, european continent had been doing it). Theaters were also more inaccessible compared to Shakespeare’s time, although it was frowned upon for married women to attend.

Elizabeth Barry

(1658-1713) One of the most famous female actresses. She never married but had many affairs, including with the earl of Rochester. She was good at blurring her on- and offstage flirtatiousness.

Anne Bracegirdle

(1671-1748) Orphan adopted by the couple actors Betterton, and had a public image of innocence and known for her roles as the damsel in distress or “breeches” (aka man showing calves).

earl of Rochester

Had an affair with Elizabeth Barry (didn’t believe in monogamy), resulting in a child he had kidnapped, one of the founding members of The Court Wits, a huge libertine: 1) pursue pleasure if it doesn’t harm anyone bc its a natural appetite 2) God created everything b no other powers. He also translated the first full English edition of Lucretius’s “On the Nature of Things”

Lucretius

Libertine: doing what you want wo considering others. Originated w Epicurus, who believed pleasure>>>. Wrote “On the Nature of Things” which used physics about atoms to discuss ethics.

The Court Wits

(1665-1680) Charles II reign very raunchy and had loose morals. Started by 4 men (including the earl of Rochester) and grew to 20. They threw the biggest, drunkest parties, and wouldn’t rependt for their actions

Societies for the Reformation of Manners

(1670-1738) Set up “neighborhood watch” to patrol the streets for night walkers and sodomites/molly houses. They’d try to get constables to arrest people and go to sympathetic magistrates

The Black Lists

Published by the Societies for the Reformation of Manners. List of people they got prosecuted (800-2k/year). Mainly women and ppl didn’t get held for very long. These didn’t really prevent anything

A Modest Defense of Publick Stews

Written by Bernard Mandeville in 1724 in defense of prostitution. Rather than lust being a flame that you feed/an addiction, its a distraction that you quench quickly or else you’ll commit sexual misconduct. Argued that it was a necessary service and that prostitutes are demonized victims rather than villains.

molly houses

Given this name in 1709, sodomitical subculture in London increased, as did mass arrests. The first arrest was in 1699, and by 1726, there were over 17 molly houses in London

Abigail Masham

(1670-1734) Queen Anne’s second favorite after Sarah Churchill.

tribades

basically lesbians